Category Archives: Swimming

Trials Stories: Day One

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The US Olympic Trials for swimming began Saturday. It’s bittersweet to watch. On one hand I’m excited to see who makes the Olympic Team for Paris. On the other hand, I miss being at swim meets cheering on my kids and spending time with other swim parents.

One of my favorite parts of watching Olympics are the stories about the athletes. Throughout the broadcast, there are personal background stories about individual athletes. When I feel a connection, or am impressed with what the athlete has overcome and persevered, I find myself invested and rooting for that person.

Although it’s not the Olympics yet, three stories stood out to me on day one of Olympic Trials:

Katie Ledecky

Also known as Katie “Freaking” Ledecky, she has earned more gold medals than Michael Phelps. From her X bio: 3x U.S. Olympic Swimmer – 7x Gold-Medalist. 21x World Champion. 16x World Record Breaker. Stanford grad.

I’ll add to that: “The greatest female swimmer of all time.”

On day one of Trials, the 27-year-old Ledecky earned her spot on the US Olympic Team by swimming the 400 Meter Freestyle in under four minutes. So now she can update her bio to say 4x U.S. Olympic Swimmer.

Ledecky has revolutionized the sport by breaking barriers and opening a path for those following her. A swim dad friend, who has two daughters who medaled at the Olympics, told me Ledecky made the impossible possible. She has opened opportunities for young girls who believe they can swim those times, too. Ledecky has made the sport faster.

Gretchen Walsh

Gretchen Walsh, age 21, added excitement to day one by breaking a world record in the 100 fly in semi-finals. This is the first world record broken at Olympic Trials swimming since 2008. She broke Swedish swimmer Sarah Sjostrom‘s 2016 world record of 55.48.

Even though she is now the world record holder in the 100 fly, she hasn’t made the US Olympic Team. She has to place first or second in finals to earn a spot — there are only two swimmers per event who make the team. I am rooting for her! Also her sister Alex, age 23, is competing in Olympic Trials, but they swim different events.

UPDATE: SHE DID IT! She’s on the team coming in first place last night at finals!!

Aaron Shackell

I watched 19-year-old Aaron Shackell from Carmel, Indiana win the 400 meter free, earning his spot on the Olympic Team. He’s young and hasn’t been in too many elite level meets. But he had plenty of confidence and speed swimming before the crowd of 20,000 at Trials held in his home state. Instead of holding Olympic Trials in a Natatorium, they built a pool in a football stadium.

During his post swim interview, Elizabeth Biesel asked when he first wanted to go to the Olympics. He said it was in kindergarten, when he learned his dad was an Olympic swimmer. Hard word since kindergarten through his freshman year of college paid off. His Olympic career is mostly likely just beginning with plenty of years ahead.

Do you watch the Olympics? What is your favorite sport to watch?

I don’t have to, I get to

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Cardinal stopping by my Birdbuddy.

Here’s an interesting way to view the world. Instead of taking things for granted, take a moment to appreciate what we have. Flip the things you don’t want to do on their heads and be thankful you are able to do them.

When my daughter was in college, sometimes she drove an hour from campus to my husband’s childhood friend’s church, CenterPoint Church in Orem, UT. My hubby’s friend grew up to be a pastor. As a mom, I was thrilled that she took the time to go to church, visit family friends, and decided to do this all on her own!

I remember when she texted me, “This was just what I needed. The sermon’s message was ‘I don’t have to, I get to!”

I remembered this message because I had a week that was less than spectacular. I was kicking in the pool one day, because I didn’t feel like walking. I normally walk for 45 minutes to an hour every single day. But I was lazy and thought a dip in the backyard pool would be a nice change.

The next day, I was limping and in pain. It’s the top of my foot that hurts, where I was hitting the water. I talked to my daughter about it and she said because I haven’t been swimming in awhile, my feet weren’t used to the stretch needed to kick. She suggested icing and elevating.

I tried walking the next day and couldn’t. I’ve spent five days without being in the pool or taking my daily walks. My sleep has been awful. I haven’t been a happy camper.

So, now I understand that it’s not a chore to swim or go for a daily walk. I’m grateful for the opportunity. “I don’t have to, I get to!”

What things are your grateful to do that others might see as a chore?

Six things I miss about swim meets

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My kids at the pool
My kids at the pool posing for a club team pic.

Once upon a time, we were crazy swim parents. Yes, those kind of parents.

I read an article in the WSJ yesterday that brought fond memories of those days.

It was called “A Tribute to the Inane Dramas of Sideline Parents: Who would have thought I’d miss all that groaning, whining and anguish?” by Joe Queenan.

Here’s an excerpt:

One of the worst things about watching your kids grow up is that you no longer get to witness the uniquely idiotic, yet oddly entertaining, behavior of parents at kids’ ballgames. 

When my daughter started playing league soccer at age 6, parents would go out of their way to film every minute of every game. That first year, her team went winless and scoreless until the final game of the season. Decades later, the kids’ aging parents can pull those old videos down off the shelf and regale their progeny with untold hours of lovingly documented footage of utterly unproductive prepubescent athletic activity. Thanks, Mom! Thanks, Dad!

I actually miss this inanity. As a connoisseur of boorishness, I miss the anguished complaints about muffed offsides calls, the moaning and groaning about alleged handballs in front of the goal, the conspiratorial suggestions that the referee is blind. 

https://www.wsj.com/lifestyle/a-tribute-to-the-inane-dramas-of-sideline-parents-126b54ee

Although I don’t miss riding the roller coaster of being a crazy swim parent — or watching parents who were downright abusive — I do miss six things about going to swim meets.

ONE

Spending time together.  When you’re away for a few days with your swimmer, you have a captive audience. There’s no distraction of eight hours at school, followed by three hours of swim practice, or them hanging out with their non-swim friends. Spending lots of time together, unfettered with household, work, and daily school responsibilities is refreshing. I enjoyed our little bubble of time and treated it like a mini-vacation. We played cards, sang songs, hung out at the beach, and had fun!

TWO

Nap time. When our swimmers were older and had meets with prelims and finals, we found ourselves in the hotel — with our kids — for three to four hours in the middle of the day. They needed to be off their feet and resting. So I’d bring in lunch, relax, and enjoyed the best naps!

THREE

Walking. Being at a meet for days on end, without cooking, cleaning, working, etc. allowed plenty of time to walk. I walked during warm-ups and warm-downs. I walked with my husband, with friends, and by myself. I looked forward to checking out the areas by the pools on foot. Walking got rid of my nervous energy and walking for hours and miles had to be good for me!

FOUR

Friendships. I spent lots of hours with team parents under the pop-up tent. Mostly, swim parents are generous, encouraging and have the common interest of their team and kids’ successes at heart. I made great friends with parents from other teams — as well as swim officials. I looked forward to seeing them at meets. I remember conversations with parents when our kids were leaving for college. We shared our excitement plus our anxieties of being empty nesters. We lived in separate towns with kids on separate teams, yet had so much in common.

FIVE

Watching your swimmer race. What is it about watching your child race that is so rewarding and exciting? I’m not sure, but if you have the answer, please let me know. It was so exciting when they did well. I loved that feeling when I watched their hard work pay off and observed their growth as a person and athlete. It crushed me when goals were missed by mere tenths of seconds and our kids were disappointed.

SIX

Sushi. We ate lots of sushi at swim meets. I scouted for the best sushi restaurants near pools throughout Southern California. My daughter liked to eat sushi at meets, too. It’s healthy, light, provides her with the right fuel to race. We didn’t have a sushi restaurant at home that I liked, so sushi was a treat.

Looking back at your kids’ childhood, what do you miss?

Tribute to a Legend: Coach Jon Urbanchek

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Jon Urbanchek

Jon Urbanchek, Coach of University of Michigan, USC and US Olympic Team

RIP, Coach Urbanchek. He died May 9, 2024 at age 87.

“I’m not looking at how many fast times you have, or how many medals you’ve won, medals will tarnish, right? I’m looking at how many friendships you made.” -Coach Jon Urbanchek

When I was gathering stories for the SoCalSwimming History website, a swim official gave me Jon Urbanchek’s number to call. The year was 2017 and he was 80 years old. He told me how he was coaching part time at USC. I was amazed at his energy and how enthusiastic and friendly he was.

From my interview with Coach Urbanchek:

“I’m going to be 81 this year, and I still love the sport. I still volunteer coach at USC Tuesday, Thursday and Saturday because I love being with young people. I love the energy they put out. I think at my age it’s important to be active. I leave the house at 5 a.m. to get there at 6 a.m. driving through LA traffic. I’m officially retired but I’m very happy to be a part of the program. Even this year, I did the training camp for the national team. I’m still involved with the national team and USC. I want to continue on.”

I loved talking to him and learning his life story from leaving Communist Hungary, studying at University of Michigan to his decades-long career coaching.

He was a US Olympic coach on staff for ’92, ’96, ’00, ’04, ’08 and ’12. He was inducted into the International Swimming Hall of Fame, Long Beach State Hall of Fame and University of Michigan Hall of Fame. 

There was an outpouring of love for him this week from the swimming community:

“It is hard to express how much Jon Urbanchek has meant to me since I first met him in 2012. He was my coach on the 2012 Olympic team and he has been a coach, a mentor and a friend since then. I learned so much from him. He was a kind and dedicated coach who never forgot his swimmers. I will never forget his dedication to our sport, his humor, his coaching style and his love for Team U.S.A. He was a coach of coaches. I know that all of my coaches learned something from him. I am so lucky to have had him as a part of my team….he never stopped coaching and encouraging me.”
— Katie Ledecky, three-time Olympian, seven-time Olympic gold medalist, 21-time world champion, and holder of three world records

“I can still hear him saying “keep it moving” “ey , _____ MOVE IT!”…. Thinking about what he taught me in and out of the pool… one of the most influential ppl I’ve had in my life…this man is a legend and truly one of one!

RIP buddy…. ❤️❤️ “
–Michael Phelps, legendary American swimmer who won 28 medals across five Olympics, making him the most decorated athlete in the history of the Summer Games.

“Undeniably among the legendary coaches of our time. Better was his inclusion of all of us on our way up. Fast friend to anyone who crossed his path. If you met him you were undoubtedly added to his contact list along with a selfie together. All of us in swimming owe his wife Melanie and daughter a debt of gratitude for sharing him with us.”
— Dave Salo, former U.S.A. National Team Coach and head coach at USC

“Jon Urbanchek was the Yoda to world swimming. Add on the sense of humor and occasionally needed warm hug. His wisdom grew and spread over the decades and his legacy will continue to influence future generations.  We will miss his presence and carry on his spirit. ‘Go Blue! Keep it movin!’” — Mike Bottom, former University of Michigan swimming and diving head coach (2008-23)

After my phone interview with Coach Urbanchek, I would run into him at swim meets.
I remember talking with him at Open Water Nationals at Lake Castaic, Calif. I was there to cheer on our daughter.

He was coaching Haley Anderson, who swam the 10k in the 2012, 2016 and 2020 Olympics. We became friends with the Anderson family, because Haley’s younger sister, Jordan, swam with our daughter at the University of Utah. Haley and her sister Alyssa made the US Olympic team in London. Alyssa earned a gold medal for the 4 X 200 free relay, while Haley earned Silver, finishing 4/10s of a second — in the 6.2 mile race — behind the winner from Hungary.

Jon Urbanchek at the 2017 Open Water Nationals at Lake Castaic.

Who has made an impact in your life like Jon Urbanchek made in the swimming world?

It wasn’t April Fools

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If you read my post on Monday, ASU won their first Men’s NCAA swimming and diving championship after almost cutting their program in 2008. I wrote about how the team’s success was due to Head Coach Bob Bowman (who was Michael Phelps longtime coach) and Assistant Coach Herbie Behm, who was one of my daughter’s coaches at Utah.

Then within 48 hours of winning the number one spot at NCAAs, social media went wild. Announcements were made from the University of Texas that Bob Bowman was named their head coach to replace retiring Eddie Reese. That came out of the blue, because amidst speculation, nobody thought Bowman would leave ASU.

At first everyone was convinced it was an April Fools’ joke.

Next, ASU announced that Herbie was being promoted to head coach. Congrats to Herbie!

That pretty much made the changes for real. Not a joke.

Now the swimming world is waiting to see what happens next. Do swimmers follow Bowman to Texas? Or, do they stay at ASU with Herbie? Time will tell.

Here are a few photos from my walk yesterday and of blooms in our neighborhood:

Did you see or hear something on Monday that you thought was an April Fools’ joke?

What are some of the fun April Fools’ joke you experienced?

In case you haven’t figured it out. I’m on TEAM HERBIE! The one who came back to his home team for his dream job. The one who isn’t ditching out after of 48 hours of a team championship to leave everyone else behind for the next step up in his career. Or worried about the next legacy or career about all him.

How I’m celebrating

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Lemon Lush
I’m making Lemon Lush for our party.

This weekend, it’s my birthday. I am throwing a party for my husband.

That’s because his birthday was in January and he was sick with an upper respiratory virus. I was sick before Christmas through New Year’s, then it was his turn. I had invited three couples from our neighborhood, plus our Palm Springs friends who now live one mile away. Our Santa Barbara friends were going to surprise hubby. But they came two weeks ago and we had a fun, but exhausting time!

I couldn’t have the party while they were here, because two of the previously invited couples were out of town.

I haven’t felt like entertaining, but time is passing by and I did invite them. I said we were postponing while hubby was sick. I didn’t want to flake out on them so, his birthday party happens to coincide with my actual one.

For my birthday I also made swimming reservations for us at our local YMCA. We had such a cold winter, I never once made it to swim laps. I’m warm weather swimmer, also known as a wimp. I thought what better day than my birthday to restart lap swimming.

I did go to lunch with my two graphic designer friends who moved from Palm Springs to nearby more than 10 years ago. We have made it a monthly get together and we rotate who gets to choose the restaurant. It was my turn and I picked a sushi restaurant that none of us had been to. I had sushi and my friends ordered the Bento Box — which was only $12! That’s a deal in this town.

Hamachi Nigiri and the Garlic Roll that had tempura shrimp, tuna and roasted garlic on top.

My friends $12 Bento Box Lunch Special.

What do you like to do to celebrate your birthday?

Are you a sushi fan? Or, do you like food like in the Bento Box better?

New Year’s Resolutions Reviewed

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three swimmers

This is a photo of my daughter (center) swimming with two club teammates

I wrote this January 2015. There’s not much I’d change nine years later. As far as my New Year’s Resolution that year to swim with my kids’ club team in their Master’s program, it took me until April to get up my courage. But I did it. (Master’s is swimming with a coach for 18 year olds and older.)

Kick It up a Notch! Or How to Build on Last Year’s Resolutions

This year, I  might start swimming Masters.

I sat down to write my New Year’s Resolutions story for my blog when I got distracted by checking out FaceBook. Just for a few mintues, mind you.

What did I see? An article written by a friend of mine, Susan Murphy, published in a local wellness and health publication, called Desert Health. She wrote about New Year’s Resolutions, too. You can read her article HERE. Susan’s a Ph.D., life coach, business advisor and author of several books.

images-2

I tried a couple of her tips last January. I made goals that were small. They weren’t overwhelming. And, they were specific.

Too many people fail at their resolutions. Last year, I managed to make four of my goals happen.

My successes: writing, exercising and reading the Bible every single day. I’m proud to say I did it!  I also started bleuwater a year ago. I posted at least one story a week. It’s rewarding to look back on my work and know that I didn’t give up.

I also have a list of failures. But, I don’t care to discuss them right now.

So what am I going to try to do this year? As Emeril would say, “Kick it up a notch!”

I write my morning pages without fail. I have several writing projects I’m consumed with. But I want to do more. Make more progress.

My exercise is very consistent, but not challenging enough. I am getting stronger, but I need to kick it up. I walk several miles every morning and then in the evening with my husband. I am thinking about either joining a gym or swimming with masters.

What are your New Year’s goals?

How did you do with your resolutions last year?

A look at a goal for 2024:

FYI, I want to revise my rough draft of my NaNoWriMo project from two years ago. I struggled with it in 2023. I took a suggestion from LA from Waking up on the Wrong Side of 50 and signed up for an online writing class. It begins in two weeks. I’ll be off and going on one of my New Year’s resolutions.